HARRISBURG -Three separate cocaine trafficking organizations, responsible for trafficking as much as $3.7 million worth of cocaine into the Erie area over the past year, have been dismantled by the Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Tom Corbett said that the investigation has resulted in the arrest of nine mid-to-upper-level cocaine dealers.
Corbett said the investigation focused on the out of state trafficking and distribution of multi-kilo quantities of cocaine in Erie County by Felipe Cruz, Edward Garcia and Julio Melendez.
According to agents, these three dealers operated three separate cocaine organizations, which were allegedly aware of each other’s operations, but not connected in trafficking.
Associates were identified as Jean Pagan Rosario, who was part of Garcia’s organization and Alex Correa-Valez and Oscar Vazquez, who operated in connection with Melendez. Agents also identified three individuals who were not associated with any of the organizations.
Corbett said that Cruz, Garcia and Melendez were identified as the main importers of cocaine from New York, Denver, Colorado and Philadelphia and were responsible for bringing as much as eight to 10 kilos of cocaine a month to the Erie area over the past year with an estimated street value of approximately $3.75 million.
“Drugs, like any other product, do not have boundaries,” Corbett said. “Source cities like New York and Philadelphia continue to be the springboards for illegal drug distribution throughout Pennsylvania.”
“Drug dealers do not care where their product comes from,” Corbett said. “The only thing that they care about is cornering an active market, keeping local residents addicted and generating more profit for themselves.”
As the investigation progressed, confidential informants (CIs) were used to make a series of controlled cocaine purchases from the alleged drug dealers.
Over the course of the investigation, agents seized approximately four kilograms of cocaine, 450 ecstasy pills, $80,000 in cash, two handguns, an 18 foot Bayliner boat, three automobiles, a jet-ski and four quad runners.
“The massive sale of cocaine in Erie provided a very luxurious lifestyle for these drug dealers,” Corbett said.
Corbett noted that as a direct result of this investigation, Julio Rodriguez-Mendoza, a fugitive who was sought on an outstanding homicide warrant in Puerto Rico, was apprehended in Philadelphia.
Corbett thanked the Pennsylvania State Police, Organized Crime Unit, Erie Police Vice and Narcotics Unit, the City of Erie Police Department and Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk for their assistance with the investigation.
This is part of an ongoing investigation and more arrests are anticipated in the future.
The case will be prosecuted in Erie County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Mike Ahwesh of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Section.
A full list of the defendants and the charges against them is below.
–Felipe Cruz, 26,Erie, is charged with four counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, one count of possession with intent, one count of drug paraphernalia and one count of child endangerment.
–Edward Garcia, 35, Erie, was previously charged with five counts possession with the intent to deliver ecstasy, three counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of criminal use of a communications facility and one count of corrupt organizations. Additional charges are two counts of possession with intent (cocaine and ecstasy) and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
–Jean Pagan Rosario, 21, Erie, is charged with one count of possession with intent to delivery, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of corrupt organizations.
–Oscar Vazquez, 74, Erie, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and one count of possession with intent.
–Alex Correa-Velez, 32, Erie, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine.
–Jose Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 46, Erie, is charged with one count of criminal conspiracy.
–Julio Melendez, 39, Jamestown, NY, is charged with one count of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of delivery of a controlled substance.
–Jose Heredia, 38, Philadelphia, is charged with three counts of criminal conspiracy, two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and one count of sale of a firearm.
–Luis Rodriguez, 43, Aston, is charged with three counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of sale of a firearm.